Gordon Banks OBE - football legend, England hero and Stoke City icon - has died after a long illness. He was 81.

He passed away this morning with family at his bedside after his health deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks.

Gordon had lived in the shadow of cancer for many years and in recent months had been undergoing spells of chemotherapy.

Many of his old Stoke team-mates had been visiting him at his home in Madeley in the hope of inspiring one more recovery, but to no avail this time.

Gordon Banks... Stoke City and England hero (Image: PA)

A statement issued by Stoke City FC on behalf of the family reads: "It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight.

"We are devastated to lose him but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him.

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

"We would ask that the privacy of the family is respected at this time."

Gordon Banks will be remembered throughout the footballing world as one of the best - some will say the very best - goalkeeper the sport has ever produced.

He was one of the cornerstones of England’s historic World Cup triumph in 1966, while four years later his worldwide fame rocketed again thanks to his so-called `save of the century’ to deny Pele and Brazil in the 1970 finals.

A humble man with so little to be humble about, he divided his time in later years between working for the pools company, acting as Stoke City president ( following the death of Sir Stanley Matthews in 2000) and working for good causes like the Alzheimer’s Society and the children’s ward at his local hospital.

And in his later years `Sir’ Gordon frequently joined his old Stoke team-mates for their weekly constitution around Trentham Gardens.